Attack on Ekushey Book Fair Stall for Displaying Taslima Nasrin’s Book

Staff Reporter

A stall by Sabyasachi Prakashani at the Ekushey Book Fair was vandalized due to the display of a book by controversial writer Taslima Nasrin. The incident led to the detention of Shatabdi Bhav, co-publisher of the publishing house.

Witnesses reported that a group of extremists confronted the stall staff after spotting Taslima Nasrin’s book, using offensive language and questioning why it was on display. Shatabdi Bhav objected to their behavior, prompting a heated exchange. The situation escalated when the group accused Bhav of chanting “Joy Bangla” and labeled him as an accomplice of fascism before damaging the stall.

Police intervened to control the situation and temporarily closed the stall. Shatabdi Bhav was detained and taken to the police control room.

Dr. Selim Reza, head of the Book Fair Taskforce, described the incident as “unfortunate” and stated that the decision to close the stall permanently remains under consideration.

Sabyasachi’s publisher, Meheran Sanjana, confirmed that Taslima’s books are regularly featured at the fair despite occasional threats. However, this year’s backlash has been severe. Sanjana expressed concerns over her safety, citing ongoing threats and social media intimidation since releasing Taslima’s latest book, *Chumbon.*

Sanjana noted a decline in visitors to the fair, attributing it to fears of extremism. Despite her apprehensions, she plans to release another book by Taslima, *Chhera Pata,* later this week. Sanjana emphasized the importance of free thought in literature, expressing disappointment over the changing atmosphere of the fair and the absence of discerning readers.

The incident has sparked debates on freedom of expression and security at public cultural events.